Mechanical stoker.



F. W. MARTIN.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

APPLHJATION FILED ocnze. 1911.

Patented May 28,1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

INVENTOR WITNESSE -F.' w. MARTIN.

MECHANICAL STOKER. AP'Pl'lcAnon man ocnze. 19H.

Patented May 28,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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" rnnimnrcx w. MARTIN, OIE NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 ALBERT c. ELVIZN', or

- YPLANDOME, NEW YORK.

MECHANICAL sroxnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. MAR- TIN, of the borough of Queens, in the county of Queens, city and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mechanical Stoker s, of which improvement the following is a. specification.

My invention relates to mechanical stokers for furnaces, such as locomotive boiler furnaces, and more'particularly to that type of stoker in-which a substantially horizontal rotary .plate or disk, having vertical ribs or vanes on its upper face, is employed for distributing the fuel over the furnace grate.

The principal object of my invention'is to provide a more effectual and uniform distribution of the fuel and consequently improve the conditions of-the fire and the efficiency of the boiler. This object is attained by an automatically operable variable speed mechanism, whereby the coal distributing disk is rotated at different rates of speed during certain successive periods, gradually increasing to a maximum and then gradually diminishing to a minimum, to project the fuel uniformly over all the zones of the grate from the rear to the frontof the fire box.

Another feature of my improvement com-- rotation of the coal distributing disk at certain times, whereby the fuel will be effectually and evenly distributed upon both sides of the furnace.

Another object is to provide a simple and compact structure which may be readily applied to the fire door. opening and against the back head of the ordinary locomotive boiler, and at the same time .take up very little space above the deck in the locomotive cab. For thispurpose, the coal distributing disk is provided with a central opening, and the fuel is fed from below, up through said opening, and onto the upper face of the disk, which may be continuously rotated at T the same time. By means of this construction, the fuel supply conduit may be located directly beneath the distributing disk, and extend below the deck, where it may communicate with a fuel conveyer leadingfrom the tender. The driving'mechanism for the disk and fuel supply means may also be supported beneath the rotary disk easing so that a great economy of space within the 10- comotive cab is effected, while at the same time, all parts are readily accessible for adjustment, inspection, or repairs.

These and other advantages will hereinafter more fully appear from the following detailed description of a preferred form of my improvement, and the features of novelty'will be set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section of a stoker mechanism embodying my invention, as applied to the back head of a locomotive boiler furnace; Fig. 2, a plan thereof, with the cover of the rotary disk casing removed; Fig. 3, a horizontal section, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig.

. 1, and showing the driving mechanism, and;

Fig. 4, a front elevation.

According to the form of the improvement herein illustrated, the construction comprises a suitable box or casing, 5, having a cover, 5*, and adapted to be supported in any convenient manner upon the back head, 6, of a locomotive boiler, and opposite the lower portion of the usual fire door opening, 7 said casing containing a substantially horizontal rotary fuel 7 plate or disk, 8, mounted to rotate on a vertical axis,-and having a plurality of radial ribs or anes, 9, on its upper face, for projecting and distributing the coal within the firebox. The side of the casing toward the fire door is open, and the bottom of the casing and the disk preferably extend a few inches within the fire door opening, the opposite side of the casing being curved to conform to the circular outline of said disk.

Any' suitable-and preferred means may be employed for delivering fuel upon the rotary disk, but according to one of the features of tains an suitable means forelevating the fuel, S110 as the conveyer screw, 13, WhlCh feeds the fuel upward through the central opening and onto the upper face of said rotary disk. I v

A conveyerscrew, 35, and casing, 37 beuse.

arm, 30, embracin neath the locomotive deck, may be employed for transferring fuel from the tender and delivering the same through a hopper or chute, 36, into the bottom of the elevator conduit, 12. Any suit-able driving mechanism, such as a shaft, 38, bevel gears, 34 and 88, and chain, 39, may be used for operating the conveyer screws, 13 and 35, at the desired speed.

According to another feature of my improvement, I provide an automatically operable variable speed mechanism for driving the rotary disk, and one form of such mech-- anism is shown as comprising a gear, .14, mounted on the lower end of the cylindrical portion, 11, and engaging a gear, 15, at tached to a friction disk, 16, mounted in a bearing on a bracket, 17 The friction disk is driven by a friction wheel, 18, the periphcry of which engages said disk and is adapted to be shifted radially to different positions thereon. in order to move the friction wheel across the face of the friction disk, said'whe'el is 'slidably mountedbn a square shaft, 19, supported in suitable bearings parallel with the face of the friction disk, and carrying the gear, 20, which may be driven by any suitable means, such as a gear, 21, on a driving shaft, 22, operated by a chain, 23, and sprocket wheel, .24. The shaft, 22, also carries a worm, 25, engaging a worm wheel, 26, on a shaft, 27, having a crank, 28, with a connecting rod, 29, attached to a bifurcated the friction wheel, 18, and mounted to sli e upon the shaft, 19, and a parallel rod, 31.. v

When the friction wheel, 18, rests upon the center of the friction disk, 16, it wilrof course impart no movement thereto, and consequently, at that position of the crank, 28, the friction disk, 16, and also the rotary distributin disk 8, will come to a stop. the crank s aft, 27, continues to turn, how ever, being driven at a suitable uniform speed by the driving shaft, 22, and the worm gear connection, the friction wheel 18,

xgradually shifted radially upon the friction disk toward its outer periphery, and consequently drives thefrictiendisk and the rotary distributing disk, at a gradually in-.

creasing rate ofspeed until the maximum is reached at the periphery. The crank, 28, then passes its extreme position, and the rod, 29, begins to draw the friction wheel back toward the center of the friction disk. During this quarter turn of the crank, the speed of the friction disk, and the rotary distributin disk, is gradually diminished to zero at t e center. Asthe crank continues to turn, the friction wheel is shifted across the center, andout in the opposite direction to the periphery of the friction disk, and then back to the center. This obviously causes the friction disk,and the rotary distributing disk, to rotate in the opposite direction,

naeaesi through corresponding gradually increasing and gradually diminishing speeds. By this means, the coal will be effectually and evenly distributed throughout all zones of the grate area, from the front to the rear, and upon the opposite sides of the fire box. The feed-- ing of the fuel may be substantially continuous throughout any desired running period of the locomotive, as the driving shaft of the variable speed mechanism is adapted to be drivencontinuously, at a substantially uniform rate, to give the proper distribution of the fuel, and the. conveyer and elevator mechanism may also be continuously operated, as the fuel can pass upward through the central opening and onto the upper face of the rotary disk at all times. The amount of fuel fed to the furnace may be regulated y governing he p d f he supply or conveying mechanism.

I claim as my invention and desire to se cure by Letters Patent:

l. in a mechanical stoker, the combination automatically operable rotary distributing disk having vanes on its u per face and mounted in said casing; an a mechanism for rotating said disk at variable speeds in the course of each revolution,

3. in a mechanical Stoker, the combination of a casing, having an opening at one side adapted to communicate with a furnace; a rotary distributing disk having vanes on its upper face and mounted in said casing; and a reversing mechanism for rotating said disk, first in' one direction and then in the opposite direction. 7

l. In a mechanical Stoker, the combination of a casing havingan openingat one side adapted. to communicate with a furnace; a

rotary distributing disk having vanes on its upper face and mounted in said casing; and a reversing and variable speed mechanism for operating said disk.

5. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a casing having, an opening at one m'de adapted to communicate with a furnace; at

' rotary distributing disk having vanes on its upper face and mounted in said casing; and

an automatically operable driving mechanism for varying the speed of said disk in the course of each revolution, including friction wheels engaging each other and means for shifting one of said wheels relatively to the other.

- 6. in a mechanical Stoker, the combination or a casing having an opening at one side adapted to communicate with a furnace; a rotary distributing disk having vanes on its upper face and mounted in said casing; and a driving mechanism for said disk, including a rotary friction disk, a friction wheel having its periphery engaging the face of said dlsk, and means for shifting said wheel across the center of said diskfrom one side to the other.

7. In a mechanical stoker, the combination ofa casing having an opening at one side adapted to communicate with a furnace; a rotary distributing disk having a central 7 opening and mounted on a substantially ver tical axis in said casing; and means for feeding fuel up through said opening and upon the upper face of said disk.

8. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a casing having an opening at one side adapted to communicate with a furnace; a,

rotary distributing disk having a central opening and mounted on a substantially vertical axis in said casing; a fuel conduit commumcating with the bottom of said casing; and means for elevating fuel through said conduit and opening and upon the face of said disk.

9. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a casing having a delivery opening at one side and another opening in the bottom; a rotary distributing disk mounted in said casing and having a hollow cylindricalportion at the center, extending downward through the bottom of the casing; and means for feeding fuel up through said cylindrical portion and upon the upper face of said disk. 10. In a mechanical stoker, the combina tion of a casing having a delivery opening at one side and another opening in the bottom; a rotary distributing disk-mounted in said 4 casing and having a hollow cylindrical portion at the center, extending downward through the bottom of the casing; mechanism for imparting rotary motion to said cylindricalportion beneath the casing; and means for feeding fuel up through said gyi'slikndrical portion and upon the face of said 11. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a casing having a delivery opening at one side and another opening in the bottom; a rotary distributing disk mounted in said casing and having a hollow cylindrical portion at the center, extending downward 4 through the bottom of the casing; a driving gear connection at the lower end of said cylindricalportion; and a screw for elevating fuel through said portion and upon the face of said disk.

FREDERICK W. MARTIN. 

